Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Matthew 1:20-23

Matthew 1:21-23 says, “She (Mary) shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.’

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us.’”

Who was this Child born of a virgin? Who is this One that we call Jesus?

Adrian Rogers says, “Not only is He the Son of God, He is God the Son.”

In order to know who Jesus is, we have to acknowledge the doctrine of the Trinity—God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We may not understand the mystery of the Trinity, but that is a good thing! If we were to understand God, we would lack confidence in Him. We cannot cram the God of the universe and His mysterious ways into our human intellect. The Trinity cannot be understood… it must be believed.

We can see the manifestation of the Trinity unfold throughout Scripture. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The Hebrew word for “God” here is a plural translation.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And verse 14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...”

Jesus became a singular manifestation of the plural God, a visible one-third of the invisible Trinity: God the Son.

Our destiny rides on the unchanging ministry of the Trinity.

Adrian Rogers says, “You are selected by the Father. He loved you before you were ever born. You were saved by the Son. You are sealed by the Spirit.”

Because of the Christmas story, we as children of God have been given a new benediction: God loves you. Jesus saved you. The Holy Spirit empowers you.

Apply it to your life

Do you believe the Babe of Bethlehem is the God of Genesis One? Do you believe Jesus is God the Son? Today, examine your heart, worship God, and thank Him for the Gift of Jesus Christ.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Luke 2:25-35

Luke 2:25 tells the story of a man named Simeon, a just man, right with God. He was saved, surrendered, spiritual, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Through his faith, it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And ultimately, Simeon was greatly anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ into this world.

Old Simeon was waiting for the Messiah his whole life. And in Luke 2, Simeon is led by the Holy Spirit into the temple, where Mary and Joseph had come for certain purification rites as was their custom. They brought with them their son, Jesus.

Simeon finally laid eyes on the awaited Savior of the World. He took the baby Jesus in his arms, and finally, he was satisfied—for he held Immanuel, God with us, just as He was promised.

Who is this baby held in Simeon’s arms?

-He is the One who brings deliverance.

-He is the One who dispels darkness.

-He is the One who determines destiny.

-He is the One who provokes derision.

-He is the One who causes division.

-He is the One who reveals decisions.

As Adrian Rogers says, “What Jesus does with you depends upon what you will do with Him. You can accept Him or you can reject Him. You can crown Him or you can crucify Him. But you cannot ignore Him.”

There were many who missed the first coming of Jesus that first Christmas morning—because they either did not understand or they did not believe the biblical prophecies of His first coming into the world. Though it was clearly and plainly stated in Scripture, they missed it, either through ignorance or unbelief.

And the same Scriptures that clearly prophesied His First Coming have clearly prophesied His Second Coming. He will come again. We must be ready.

Apply it to your life

As we reflect on the story of the First Coming of Christ, ask yourself: Are you saved? Surrendered to God? Spiritual in your faith? Sensitive to the Holy Spirit? Only then can you be satisfied in Christ and ready for His Second Coming.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Luke 1:30-38; 2:8-14

The Gospel of Luke says that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin when she gave birth to the Son of God. The world laughs at this idea and mocks it as if it were a myth. Even worse, some proclaiming Christians doubt the Virgin Birth; some don’t believe it at all.

But the truth is, there is no hope of salvation apart from the Virgin Birth. If the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ did not happen, the foundation of Christianity collapses.

The Virgin Birth is not incidental: it is fundamental to our faith.

You don’t have to understand the Virgin Birth to validate it. There are plenty of things we don’t understand in our everyday lives, yet we experience them.

Adrian Rogers says, “Don’t worry if you can’t explain the Virgin Birth. You couldn’t explain the Virgin Birth any more than you could explain God.”

Our only explanation for the Virgin Birth is the fact that nothing is impossible with God.

The Virgin Birth was necessary for our salvation.

In the Book of Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the Garden of Eden. When they sinned against God, they lost that dominion and infected the entire human race with their sin.

As sons and daughters of Adam by birth, we are disqualified from the restoration of this lost dominion. We are born sinners.

Had Jesus Christ been born like we were born, He would have been a son of Adam, born a sinner. But being born of a virgin, He became a “second Adam,” and was able to undo what the first Adam did.

God’s answer to the Fall of Man is another man, but a sinless, perfect man: Jesus Christ, who was both truly human and fully sinless.

And God’s answer is to this world’s problems is still Jesus, only Jesus. The hope of the individual, the Church, the family, the nation and this world is Jesus Christ, and His Unequaled Birth.

Apply it to your life

Do you believe in the Virgin Birth? Do you validate it in your heart despite the mystery behind it? Do you know the hope of salvation resulted by it? Do you recognize it as the only way to God?

As we reflect on the Birth of Jesus this holiday season, know with certainty that this Unequaled Birth is your saving grace.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 2:1-14

The way to be blessed is to obey God, which requires our trust in Him; and to trust Him is to love Him, and in order to love Him, we must know Him.

1 Corinthians 2:1-14 shows us how to know God through the Bible.

“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Heavenly wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view; human wisdom is deficient, while heavenly wisdom is sufficient. Human wisdom is superficial, transitory, and limited, and can even be dangerous. We can only know the things of God through our spirits. When He wants to teach or reveal something to us, He imparts heavenly wisdom in our spirits.

God has done three mighty acts that we might know Him; the first act is revelation, which is the communication of God's truth to man by God Himself. It takes the Holy Spirit revealing truth to us in order to really know that truth.

Adrian Rogers says, “The natural can never know the supernatural until the infinite reveals Himself to the finite.”

Secondly, God reveals Himself through supernatural inspiration, which is the very Word of God.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

Third, God reveals Himself through supernatural illumination. The Holy Spirit is the one who turns the spiritual light on so that you can understand the things of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “I can never know the Bible as I ought to know the Bible until I have the mind of Christ.”

This doesn’t mean that we can know everything about God; it means that the average person who is obedient and diligent can understand the Bible and have personal communion with God.

Apply it to your life

Adrian Rogers says, “There is no knowledge of God without revelation, inspiration, illumination. And the illumination is your part where you come to God and surrender. When you come to God's Word this way, the Bible will burst aflame in your heart and in your mind and God will teach you things out of His Word.”

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Proverbs 3:5-10

God has not engineered us for failure; rather He has programmed us for success. God has cultivated wonderful plans for our lives. But tragically, few people know the will of God, much less do the will of God for their lives.

As children of God, we have been given a wonderful promise of guidance. God has individual instructions for each of us on how to be successful. In order to know the will of God for our lives, we must first express a full dependence on the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6 explains: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

It is difficult to trust in someone we don’t know; we must know and love the Lord in order to trust and obey Him. We are to receive God’s wisdom rather than lean on our own understanding. When we search for God’s wisdom and get serious about knowing His will, He promises that we will find it. When we have complete confidence in God, and constantly comply with His will, we will receive His faithful direction.

God has promised to direct our paths, and He will do it through the Word of God.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Word of God reveals God’s will concerning our salvation, the Holy Spirit, and sanctification.

God often directs us through prayer; He speaks to our hearts, directly as we pray to Him.

He also guides through wisdom and directs us by His providence; He is the one who closes and opens doors. After we receive faithful direction from God, a forceful dynamic takes place: the Lord clears the path for us. Where there were once obstacles, He makes a path straight through.

Adrian Rogers says, “When you worship, and your walk and your wealth are given over to Him, you’ll know the will of God.”

Apply it to your life

Are you serious about knowing God’s will for your life and how to be successful in it? Express your full dependence on Him and receive His faithful direction. Begin by knowing and trusting Him; then obey Him.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Joshua 1:1-2

Victory is God’s gift to every child; He delights in His children’s prosperity. However, we must make certain that we are pursuing success God's way.

In the Book of Joshua, Canaan represented victory. This historical narrative reveals how to come out of the wilderness and into the promised land.

First, we must visualize our victory.

Canaan represented the Israelites’ freedom after generations of slavery. It represented fullness after years in the desert and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Much like the Israelites, the Christian life of victory is walking on conquered ground. God has already given us the victory; we must possess our possessions by trusting and believing in Him.

Second, we must vitalize our victory.

Joshua 1:5 reveals that God’s promises didn’t die with Moses; He was still with Joshua and the Israelites. However, the promised land would not come without difficulty or hardship. God’s promises are for all saints, for all times; but there will be seasons of difficulty and situations of hardship. We must remember that God will never leave us or command us to do anything He hasn’t equipped us for. With strength, boldness, and obedience, we must choose to have God get the victory for us.

Finally, we must verbalize our victory.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

We can only speak the Word of God to each other if we’ve hidden it in our hearts first.

Meditation on God’s Word leads to the door of success, but obedience unlocks the door. Studying Scripture gives us knowledge about God; obedience gives us knowledge of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Word of God was not given to satisfy your curiosity or scratch your intellectual itch. It’s given to lead you to obedience, which leads you to a knowledge of God, which leads you to victory.”

Apply it to your life

Do you want a life of victory and success God’s way? Meditate on the Word of God—read it, speak it, and memorize it. Don’t settle for a defeated life: obey what we see and hear in Scripture; keep His commandments.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Ecclesiastes 11

So many of us are living just to work and working just to live, drawing our breaths and drawing our salaries. But God has a plan for us, and it includes prosperity. While that does not necessarily mean many riches, it does mean financial responsibility and blessing.

The eight principles of prosperity, God’s way, are revealed in Ecclesiastes 11.

Ecclesiastes 11:1: Investment

King Solomon was the wisest man apart from Jesus Christ. Solomon himself was an investor; likewise, Jesus taught us to invest (see Matthew 25). First, we must examine our motive, ensuring we are not feeding our own greed or pride. Then, we should get wise counsel.

Ecclesiastes 11:2: Diversification

Don’t invest everything in one place; when it comes to stocks and bonds, we should open ourselves up to new ideas and opportunities.

Ecclesiastes 11:3: Preparation

Sooner or later, we will face unforeseen circumstances; they will catch us off guard if we have not been wise about saving. We can trust in the Lord to provide, while also preparing for a rainy day.

Adrian Rogers says, “Faith and prudence are not in competition one with the other.”

Ecclesiastes 11:4: Venture

There are never any guarantees in life, but if we don’t sow, we will not reap; sometimes, we have to take the risk. But we must remember, gambling is never a risk worth taking.

Ecclesiastes 11:5: Trust

There are some things we don’t know—yet everything is under the sovereign control of Almighty God; we have to trust Him.

Ecclesiastes 11:6: Work

There is no sure formula for wealth. It is good to be honorably employed and earn an honest wage. When done right, work should grant us dignity, joy, and reward.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8: Perspective

We are encouraged to enjoy life but remember that bad days are coming; don’t forget that this is not all there is.

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10: Accountability

We are stewards of the things God has given us, and one day we will stand before God and give an account for what we did with it.

Adrian Rogers says, “What you call your own is not yours; you are a steward—a manager. Owners have rights, but stewards have responsibilities.”

Apply it to your life

Have you considered the eight principles of prosperity? Remember them as you prayerfully work through your finances.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Malachi 3:7-12

God pays attention to our stewardship—how we obtain, save, invest, spend, and give away our money. Satan, who is also very interested, would love to keep us in financial bondage. Financial bondage is not just debt or poverty. If money increases our worries, or if we have plenty in the bank, but no treasure in Heaven, we are in financial bondage.

God wants to open the windows of Heaven and pour out spiritual and financial blessing on us., but we must be brought to a place where we can receive it.

Malachi 3 shows us how to obtain financial freedom. “Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’” (Malachi 3:7).

If we want financial freedom, there must first be a personal return to God, which is tithing.

God is not out to impoverish us; He wants to enrich us in His own way. God isn’t interested in our money, but rather, our hearts.

Adrian Rogers says, “You’ll never know financial freedom, no matter how wealthy you are, if you don’t tithe.”

When we remember tithing is God’s way of revealing our priorities to ourselves, we will see tithing as a great blessing. It is our privilege to show God that He is first in our lives and everything else is second.

Second, there must be a material release.

Tithing is not a legalistic practice; it was established before the law of Moses was written. Also, Jesus Himself commended it. According to Scripture, tithing is ten percent given to the temple of God (church), for the work of the temple.

Finally, when we learn to give back to God freely, we’ll see a spiritual renewal.

“And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10)

God keeps His word; when we tithe, God will renew our faith, rebuke our foes, and restore our fruitfulness.

Apply it to your life

Are you seeking freedom from financial bondage? Return to God; understand that He wants you, first and foremost. Then, show your faithfulness through tithing.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: James 5:1-3

Stewardship is the area of life that tells how men make money and, more importantly, how God makes men.

Adrian Rogers says, “A man’s character, religion and spirituality may be measured by his attitude toward money more than anything else.”

Money is a necessary means of exchange; the Bible warns us that though money is not sinful or evil in itself, the love of money is the root of all evil. God is concerned with our finances because of the many deceptions, disagreements, and disasters traced back to money. James 5 shares invaluable insight on man and his money.

First, God is interested in how we save our money.

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! …You have heaped up treasure in the last days” (James 5:1,3). Some people have stagnant wealth, collecting money for money’s sake rather than for living. God wants us to be wise and save money for the future. Riches and honor come from the Lord; however, the Bible condemns heaping up and hoarding wealth. God wants everything—including money—in circulation; there is enough to go around, to take care of everything. There is no need to keep money for the sheer love of money.

Second, God is interested in how we secure money.

In James 5:4, James calls out men who were suppressing the poor and withholding their wages for economic power. God is against wrongly-obtained gain, especially when it oppresses the poor. There is a curse reserved for ill-gotten gain. We must be careful that we make an honest wage from an honorable business.

God also sees how we spend our money.

While God takes pleasure in the prosperity and enjoyment of his servants, He is against selfishness, lavishness, and wastefulness. It is so much better to give than to receive, and our money could be used for so much more than earthly possessions.

Finally, God sees how we share our money.

One day soon, we will see the Lord Jesus and we will give an account of our stewardship.

What we give is never lost; in the end, all we have is what we have given away.

Apply it to your life

What does your relationship with money look like? Are you wise in how you save it, secure it, spend it, and share it with others?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

In simplest terms, the Gospel is the Good News of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The root of the Gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3: “...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…”

Man’s problem is not what he lacks; it is what he has, which is a sin problem. Sin brings about spiritual debt, defilement, and dominion. The Gospel is the only thing that can save us from our sins.

To understand the Gospel, we must see its scriptural content.

Jesus’ death deals with sin’s debt; his blood atoned for our sin, paying that debt He did not owe.

Jesus’ burial deals with sin’s defilement; it assures us that He has put our sin in the grave of God’s forgetfulness.

Jesus’ resurrection deals with sin’s dominion. Because He rose from the dead, and is still alive today, He has power over sin and death.

Second, we must see the saving intent of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 says, “...I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

The Gospel’s first intent is for us to believe it and be saved; no other way will lead to salvation.

Adrian Rogers says, “(Salvation) is not in sincerity or sentiment or service or sacrament, but in the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is gloriously simple and simply glorious.”

When we believe the Gospel, we are also strengthened, day-by-day.

Jesus saved us from the penalty and pollution of sin once and for all, but He is saving us from the power of sin daily.

When we believe the Gospel, we are also secured.

Jesus Christ is our wonderful assurance; He has us in His hand.

Finally, we must recognize the extent of the Gospel.

It extends to every person, every place, and every problem. Adrian Rogers says, “There’s no other message that has an answer to sin, sorrow, and death except the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Apply it to your life

If someone were to ask you what the Gospel is, do you have a ready answer for them? Remember Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, and what they mean to those who believe the Gospel.